I am setting up a soda gun in my home and have finally aquired all the
parts that I need. I'm now setting up the system in the garage for
testing before I move it all to it's final home in the kitchen (with
the carbonator and CO2 bottle in the basement directly below the
kitchen.

I'm having a problem with the carbonator. Once I pressurize the
system with CO2 up to 80psi as the manual suggests, the carbonator
pump won't pump the water into the C/W tank.
I've also noticed that i I don't pressurize the system, the tank
will fill up with water (the psi of the source is approx 60psi), it
will come out of the C/W outlet without the soda gun hooked up, but
the pressure doesn't increase when the moto/pump is running, is that
the way it's supposed to work?

Now it's obvious to me that a 60PSI water source isn't going to be
able to enter a tank that's pressurized to 80psi, but I would think
that the motor/pump would kick in and increase the pressure of the
water going into the tank so the CO2 can go into solution. Am I wrong
in my thinking?

Another quick question, should the carbonator pump be able to suck
water up from a bucket? I'm told that it won't, but that just seems
odd to me, isn't that what a pump is supposed to do?

Thank you all very much for any help you can provide.

Mike B

Mike Blanchard writes:

> I'm having a problem with the carbonator. Once I pressurize the
> system with CO2 up to 80psi as the manual suggests, the carbonator
> pump won't pump the water into the C/W tank.

Unclear. The pump motor doesn't run? It runs but doesn't pump? It
works properly when the CO2 is off?

> I've also noticed that i I don't pressurize the system, the tank
> will fill up with water (the psi of the source is approx 60psi), it
> will come out of the C/W outlet without the soda gun hooked up, but
> the pressure doesn't increase when the moto/pump is running, is that
> the way it's supposed to work?

That sounds like your pump has failed. This is new or used?

> Now it's obvious to me that a 60PSI water source isn't going to be
> able to enter a tank that's pressurized to 80psi, but I would think
> that the motor/pump would kick in and increase the pressure of the
> water going into the tank so the CO2 can go into solution.

The water pump is a booster type, increasing the tap pressure to well
above the 100 psi or so which is in the tank due to the CO2 connection.
Yes, this is needed to get the water to enter the tank at all, but more
importantly, to flow fast enough that the tank fills quickly during the
running time of the pumping duty cycle.

> Another quick question, should the carbonator pump be able to suck
> water up from a bucket? I'm told that it won't, but that just seems
> odd to me, isn't that what a pump is supposed to do?

Who sez it won't? While some pump designs require a positive input
pressure, and cannot self-prime from a negative-pressure source, I would
expect the carbonator pump, being a piston type, could apply suction.
The problem, however, is that you will pump some air into the tank,
which is going to lower the CO2 pressure, unless you take care to
somehow purge and always keep purged the air from the lines, not easy.

You do purge the tank of air, right, when first filling the system?

Mike Blanchard writes:

> I'm having a problem with the carbonator. Once I pressurize the
> system with CO2 up to 80psi as the manual suggests, the carbonator
> pump won't pump the water into the C/W tank.

Unclear. The pump motor doesn't run? It runs but doesn't pump? It
works properly when the CO2 is off?

> I've also noticed that i I don't pressurize the system, the tank
> will fill up with water (the psi of the source is approx 60psi), it
> will come out of the C/W outlet without the soda gun hooked up, but
> the pressure doesn't increase when the moto/pump is running, is that
> the way it's supposed to work?

That sounds like your pump has failed. This is new or used?

> Now it's obvious to me that a 60PSI water source isn't going to be
> able to enter a tank that's pressurized to 80psi, but I would think
> that the motor/pump would kick in and increase the pressure of the
> water going into the tank so the CO2 can go into solution.

The water pump is a booster type, increasing the tap pressure to well
above the 100 psi or so which is in the tank due to the CO2 connection.
Yes, this is needed to get the water to enter the tank at all, but more
importantly, to flow fast enough that the tank fills quickly during the
running time of the pumping duty cycle.

> Another quick question, should the carbonator pump be able to suck
> water up from a bucket? I'm told that it won't, but that just seems
> odd to me, isn't that what a pump is supposed to do?

Who sez it won't? While some pump designs require a positive input
pressure, and cannot self-prime from a negative-pressure source, I would
expect the carbonator pump, being a piston type, could apply suction.
The problem, however, is that you will pump some air into the tank,
which is going to lower the CO2 pressure, unless you take care to
somehow purge and always keep purged the air from the lines, not easy.

You do purge the tank of air, right, when first filling the system?

Richard J Kinch > wrote in message > ...
> Mike Blanchard writes:
>
> > I'm having a problem with the carbonator. Once I pressurize the
> > system with CO2 up to 80psi as the manual suggests, the carbonator
> > pump won't pump the water into the C/W tank.
>
> Unclear. The pump motor doesn't run? It runs but doesn't pump? It
> works properly when the CO2 is off?

The pump motor works fine. That is to say it spins with power
applied. The pump doesn't appear to pump the water into the tank
under pressure.

>
> > I've also noticed that i I don't pressurize the system, the tank
> > will fill up with water (the psi of the source is approx 60psi), it
> > will come out of the C/W outlet without the soda gun hooked up, but
> > the pressure doesn't increase when the moto/pump is running, is that
> > the way it's supposed to work?
>
> That sounds like your pump has failed. This is new or used?

This is a used carbonator. I have a feeling that I'll have to rebuild
the pump :-(

>
> > Now it's obvious to me that a 60PSI water source isn't going to be
> > able to enter a tank that's pressurized to 80psi, but I would think
> > that the motor/pump would kick in and increase the pressure of the
> > water going into the tank so the CO2 can go into solution.
>
> The water pump is a booster type, increasing the tap pressure to well
> above the 100 psi or so which is in the tank due to the CO2 connection.
> Yes, this is needed to get the water to enter the tank at all, but more
> importantly, to flow fast enough that the tank fills quickly during the
> running time of the pumping duty cycle.
>
> > Another quick question, should the carbonator pump be able to suck
> > water up from a bucket? I'm told that it won't, but that just seems
> > odd to me, isn't that what a pump is supposed to do?
>
> Who sez it won't? While some pump designs require a positive input
> pressure, and cannot self-prime from a negative-pressure source, I would
> expect the carbonator pump, being a piston type, could apply suction.
> The problem, however, is that you will pump some air into the tank,
> which is going to lower the CO2 pressure, unless you take care to
> somehow purge and always keep purged the air from the lines, not easy.
>
> You do purge the tank of air, right, when first filling the system?

They guy I bought the carbonator from said it won't pump from a
bucket. I did purge the line of air before trying, and nuthin'.

Everything's pointing to the pump itself. I'm going to pull the
pump off and see what I can do with it. Doubt if I can get any parts
at this time, unless Home Depot or Lowes has something that will work,
ya neer know.

To purge the tank of air, after I pressurized with CO2, I opened the
"soda" valve on the soda gun for a bit. I'll try to pull the
emergency pressure relif valve this time and see if the water gets
better carbonated.
First to pull that darned pump.

anyone have a procon pump for sale cheap? cheap is the key word
here, I've already spent way too much on this system :-(

thanks for the help!
Mike B

Mike Blanchard writes:

> Everything's pointing to the pump itself.

Agreed.

List price for the brass pump is $146.

Usually some on eBay real cheap. Search for "(carbonator,procon) pump*".

Mike Blanchard writes:

> Everything's pointing to the pump itself.

Agreed.

List price for the brass pump is $146.

Usually some on eBay real cheap. Search for "(carbonator,procon) pump*".

Richard J Kinch wrote:
> Mike Blanchard writes:
>
> > Everything's pointing to the pump itself.
>
> Agreed.
>
> List price for the brass pump is $146.
>
> Usually some on eBay real cheap. Search for "(carbonator,procon)
pump*".

I watch the eBay acutions for soda parts and pumps come up every so
often. If you keep at it, you may get lucky. Good luck.

I'm hoping to set up the same thing someday. My live-in girlfriend of 2
years loves soda water, as do I, particularly as a back to a good glass
of whiskey. We literally go through 2 bottles every few days, and we
drink no other carbonated beverages. I've had and killed some of those
soda gadgets from ISI or whatever. I do carbonate a 5 gallon corny
every so often, but that never seems to be ready when needed. So my
hope is that with all the damn fridges and everything else around here
that I can get a soda line going someday!

Regards,

Deadend

Richard J Kinch wrote:
> Mike Blanchard writes:
>
> > Everything's pointing to the pump itself.
>
> Agreed.
>
> List price for the brass pump is $146.
>
> Usually some on eBay real cheap. Search for "(carbonator,procon)
pump*".

I watch the eBay acutions for soda parts and pumps come up every so
often. If you keep at it, you may get lucky. Good luck.

I'm hoping to set up the same thing someday. My live-in girlfriend of 2
years loves soda water, as do I, particularly as a back to a good glass
of whiskey. We literally go through 2 bottles every few days, and we
drink no other carbonated beverages. I've had and killed some of those
soda gadgets from ISI or whatever. I do carbonate a 5 gallon corny
every so often, but that never seems to be ready when needed. So my
hope is that with all the damn fridges and everything else around here
that I can get a soda line going someday!

Regards,

Deadend

It did turn out to be the Procon pump. After I replaced it nice and
prickly soda water :-)

Mike B


Deadend wrote:
> Richard J Kinch wrote:
> > Mike Blanchard writes:
> >
> > > Everything's pointing to the pump itself.
> >
> > Agreed.
> >
> > List price for the brass pump is $146.
> >
> > Usually some on eBay real cheap. Search for "(carbonator,procon)
> pump*".
>
> I watch the eBay acutions for soda parts and pumps come up every so
> often. If you keep at it, you may get lucky. Good luck.
>
> I'm hoping to set up the same thing someday. My live-in girlfriend of
2
> years loves soda water, as do I, particularly as a back to a good
glass
> of whiskey. We literally go through 2 bottles every few days, and we
> drink no other carbonated beverages. I've had and killed some of
those
> soda gadgets from ISI or whatever. I do carbonate a 5 gallon corny
> every so often, but that never seems to be ready when needed. So my
> hope is that with all the damn fridges and everything else around
here
> that I can get a soda line going someday!
>
> Regards,
>
> Deadend